Meaning of yo-ho-ho | Babel Free

Definitions

A cry associated with pirates and seafaring, originally a repetitive chant intended to synchronize workers performing some collective physical labour, such as hauling on a rope.

Examples

“How happy, my comrades, how happy are we, / While drawing fish⟳ from the dark rolling sea, / While drawing fish⟳ from the dark rolling sea. / Yo ho, yo ho, yo ho, ho, ho!”

“We're rolling along, rolling along, / As over the sea we go, / As over the sea we go, / And our anchor we heave, while we're singing our song. / Sing⟳ yo! ho! cheery men, ho! / Sing⟳ yo! cheery men, ho!”

“The endless ballad had come⟳ to an end⟳ at last⟳, and the whole diminished company about the camp fire had broken into the chorus I had heard so often:— / "Fifteen men on the dead man's chest— / Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum! / Drink⟳ and the devil had done for the rest⟳— / Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!"”

“Where the Ships sail⟳ down / To the Western Sun / Alone in the Ocean Blue, / Yo ho ho! Yo ho ho! / Yo ho ho! Yo ho ho!”

“'With a yo ho ho and we'll raise⟳ the flag, / We've lots of cake in a paper bag. / We've six watermelons and pizza too. / It's a pirate's life for me and you!' / The sound⟳ of singing—well, something like⟳ singing, anyway—floated up from the creek.”

“When Asha threw the hair clip, the pirates jumped like⟳ flying fish⟳ to grab⟳ it. Pirate Joe leaped the highest and caught it. "Yo ho ho! It's mine!" he said.”

CEFR level